Oracle and the Network
by shanejayell
Summary: Oracle returns to Metropolis determined to fix her mistakes. But is she ready to face Superman?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters and series, they all belong to DC Comics. Also, this story contains mild femslash (aka girl on girl romance) so if that offends you, I'd suggest skipping it.

Oracle and the Network

Prelude 1.0

Metropolis... it was considered by some the city of the future, but for Barbara Gordon it was the past. Here she had moved the Birds of Prey from Gotham, here she had discovered the heroine Misfit and here she had suffered one of her greatest failures. A madwoman had stolen a experimental weapon and fled, the Birds of Prey in chase until a accident lead to the detonation of the device. Her agents had faced her fury over their mistakes then she had faced Superman himself, the hero scolding her pointedly.

'And I let him run me off,' Barbara admitted, the redhead pushing her wheelchair into the elevator in their hotel base, rising up to her former home. She rolled along the halls then back to where her base of operations for Oracle had been.

Her confidence shaken Oracle lad the Birds through one error after another, moving them to Platinum Flats, fighting a criminal society with too little research, challenging a empowered Calculator and even facing the Joker in a rematch. All in all the last several months had not been her best, and her friends had suffered for it.

'But no more,' Oracle thought as she rolled back out into the apartment's open areas. In a day or less the equipment would be arriving, ordered through blinds and false identities, the best in computer and surveillance technology. In a few more days Oracle would be back on line....

The sound was like that of a rushing wind, but amplified by a thousand. He appeared in the room in a blur of red and blue, a imposing figure with black hair and eyes that were surprisingly kind. "Mrs. Gordon," Superman nodded.

"Mr. Kent," Barbara answered pointedly, deciding to take the offensive from the start.

Superman jerked a little, his eyes widening. "How did you...?" he started.

"You know my methods," Barbara quoted Conan Doyle with a smile. "Security cameras are a wonderful thing, especially coupled with the right computer systems."

"Understood," Superman nodded jerkilly. He frowned at her, "I understood you were leaving Metropolis for good."

"And now I'm back," Barbara answered calmly, "I look forward to working with you."

Superman crossed his arms as he stared down at her, "This is my city and...."

Barbara raised her eyebrows as she asked, "Did you borrow that line from Batman?" Cruelly she added, "Or from Luthor?"

That made Superman close his mouth with a snap. The tall, impossibly powered hero looked hesitant for a moment, his blue eyes dimmed just a little as he studied Barbara.

"That might have been a low blow," Barbara conceded. She turned her wheelchair and rolled toward the patio window, unlatching it and rolling outside. Superman followed her out as Barbara said, "I respect you immensely, and I'm well aware of your powers."

"But...?" Superman asked, sensing where she was going.

"You can't be everywhere," Barbara said simply. "You have responsibilities to the Justice League, not to mention responding to different disasters around the world. You might recall the Battle for Metropolis?"

Superman winced at that. During a battle involving a teen aged copy of himself Superman had been pulled away from the city long enough that a invasion of super criminals could happen. Only a ragtag group of heroes organized by Oracle herself was able to slow the villains until he could arrive.

Meeting her eyes Superman asked, "The last time you were here, people died. Can you promise me it won't happen again?"

"No," Barbara told him frankly, "and I'd be lying if I did. What I can promise is that I'll do everything I can to see that doesn't happen again."

Superman still didn't look happy, but on the other hand he wasn't arguing anymore either. "I'll be keeping an eye on you," he warned as he rose up into the air and was gone.

"That doesn't scare me much," Barbara murmured as she turned the chair around and rolled back inside. 'I'll need to get some furnature in here too,' she mused, 'and start calling people.' She suspected Helena would gloat and say I told you so, but Babs could live with that.

"Geeze, he didn't look happy," the redheaded teen noted as she stuck her head around the corner and gave Babs a grin.

"Charlie, what have I told you about listening in to conversations?" Babs frowned.

Charlotte 'Charlie' Gage-Radcliffe smiled back as she offered, "Don't get caught at it?"

"That, too," Babs laughed.

Since Charlie was a orphan Babs had unofficially took the girl under her wing, helping to train her and preparing her to be a operative. That had gone badly wrong on their last case in Metropolis, and Babs had taken her anger out on the girl. Not Babs was training the girl more slowly, and not sending her out into the field until she was ready once more.

"I'm glad we're back," the casually dressed redhead added, her jeans and long sleeved shirt giving her a quirky style. "Are we getting the band back together?"

"I think so," Babs said firmly, "once we get this place in shape, anyway."

"Good," Charlie said before adding, "are you still going to call us the Birds of Prey?"

"Huh?" Babs looked at her in surprise.

Charlie shrugged, "I mean, with Black Canary gone there's not even a bird in the field team any more...."

Babs nodded reluctantly, "I'll have to think about it."

To be continued....

Notes: This is my reaction, more or less, to the end of Birds of Prey and Babs leaving to mope, pretty much. It seemed to me completely out of character for her to shut the team down the way she did and abandon her teammates, not to mention leaving Charlie without a family or a home. The intro was originally going to be shorter, but I wanted to work the full Superman/Babs talk in there as well as work in all the back story.


	2. Chapter 2

Oracle and the Network

Startup 2.0

Zinda Blake wasn't one to mope. In all honesty the blond pilot was more known to party and fight, and since coming to Gotham City had done both. The dive bars in the city were fine for a good scrap and she had even found a job flying a copter for the Gotham police department. Even though she missed her time working with the Birds she kept herself busy, and even better had found a man she was interested in.

"Hey, Zinda," the secretary grinned as the leggy blond walked by, "I don't think he's busy."

"Don't tell him I'm here,." Zinda winked as she quietly walked to the closed door.

Commissioner Gordon was a dignified older man with steel gray in his hair and a strong, handsome face with character. While not Zinda's usual type he had impressed her when they had gone on a night time emergency call, Jim handling her flying like a pro when they caught up to the madly flying Roxy Rocket.

"Hey, Jim," Zinda grinned as she sauntered in the office in a leather top and matching short skirt, white stockings on her legs and black boots finishing the look.

Jim looked up then his eyes widened like saucers. "Zee?" he said weakly.

Zinda stalked over to the desk and sat on the corner, flashing him a good look at her thighs. "How do you like my new outfit?" she wondered innocently.

"It's...," clearly poor Jim had no idea where to look, gazing up at her thrusting breasts then down over her hips to her deadly boots as he croaked, "very nice."

'He's so cute!' Zinda fought back a laugh as he blushed furiously. Keeping her voice mild she asked, "I was wondering if you wanted to grab some lunch?"

"Lunch...," Jim blinked as he tried to get his mind on track again, "right, lunch. Let me see if I need to be working...."

Zinda reached out, tugging gently on his tie and letting it run through her fingers as she murmured, "You can take off every now and then."

"Zee," Jim blushed, yet also looked pleased by the younger woman's interest.

Zinda was about to undo his tie when she felt her pager buzz against her leg. "Damn it," she growled, looking at the scrolling message.

"Reforming the group," the text said, "meeting at Aerie in Metropolis tomorrow. Oracle."

"Hot damn!" Zinda yelped as she bounced to her feet. Joyfully she grabbed James and pulled him close, kissing him vigerously. "Sorry Jim," she said as she let him go, "gotta go out of town for a few days, See you then!"

Jim Gordon blinked, gazing after her like he'd been hit on the head. "But what about lunch?" he managed weakly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Helena Bertinelli really rather enjoyed being a elementary school teacher. The children were young enough to listen but still old enough to start getting more complicated concepts. Not to mention they could be so cute at times, too. This, however, was one of those days she did not look forward to.

"Miss Bertinelli," the teen breathed out, her red hair falling around her face, "please, go out with me!"

"Alex," Helena said gently, her own long black hair flowing down over her shoulders, "I'm complimented, really."

"You're so beautiful," Alex added eagerly as she stood beside Helena's desk in the maze of offices, "and smart and...."

"Easy," Helena reached out to gently pat the earnest girl's hands. 'Was I ever this young?' she wondered, trying to remember if she had been that passionate as a child.

Alex looked sad as she murmured, "I'm too young, aren't I?"

Helena kept a straight face as she nodded to the fourteen year old, "A bit, yes."

Alex's cheek's went red as she blurted, "I'm sorry!" With that she rushed out off the room, leaving a bemused Helena in her wake.

After a moment Elyssa looked in, the gym teacher giving her a fond smile. "Everything all right?" the brown haired woman in the usual skirt and heels asked.

"Well, I think I broke her heart but...," Helena shrugged awkwardly as the other teacher came inside and sat down across from her.

"It'll happen," Elyssa advised mildly, "and trust me, it's not your fault."

Helena nodded, "Oh, I know that but... I still feel bad."

"She'll recover," Elyssa reassured her with a smile. "Hell, I think I had my first crush on a woman at that age," she added.

"You're...?" Helena asked, smiling slightly.

Elyssa laughed as she confessed, "I know it's a bit of a cliché, being the lesbian gym teacher but I get by." She leaned a bit towards Helena, "I hope it doesn't bother you?"

"No," Helena answered as she admitted, "I've been attracted to a woman once or twice."

Elyssa's eyebrows went up, "Do tell?"

Helena blushed and was about to speak when she felt her pager buzz. "Excuse me," she said as she unclipped the device.

"Reforming the group," the text said, "meeting at Aerie in Metropolis today. More details follow. Oracle."

"You have the goofiest smile on your face," Elyssa noted, "good news?"

"Oh yeah," Helena agreed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The Aerie was both what Cassandra Cain expected and not. The slim, black haired Asian woman noted that the rooms were still mostly undecorated, only a few chairs and other items having been hauled in. On the other hand the hidden sections for Oracle and her team hummed with life, new equipment replacing old as screens blazed and data scrolled.

"The woman is a slave driver," Charlie complained good naturedly as she sat on a rolling chair not far from where Babs typed away, "you wouldn't believe how much of this I had to carry in."

"You have superhuman strength," Babs noted without turning away, "besides, it's not like I could without special equipment."

"It was still mean," Charlie pouted.

Cass hid a smile at the obvious affection between them as well as hading a familiar pang. She had never known real family like this, and she longed for it in a bittersweet way. "Why am I here?" she addressed Babs, "I decided to cease being Batgirl...."

"I know," Babs agreed, "and passed the identity to Stephane Brown." Cass looked surprised and Babs turned to her and grinned, "I am Oracle, remember." More seriously she added, "I know Steph is your friend, but I'm not sure she's ready for this. Still, I'll help her where I can."

Cass nodded seriously, "So again, why am I here?"

"You've stopped being Batgirl," Babs acknowledged, "but does that mean you've given up the fight? Just because you've hung up your costume doesn't mean you've stopped being you."

"True," Cass conceded.

"Besides, in or out of costume you're unstoppable," Charlie noted enthusiastically.

Not long after they had met Charlie had sparred with Cass and had been utterly defeated. No, to be honest Cass had destroyed her! To Cass' surprise that hadn't gotten the redhead down, in fact she seemed even more enthusiastic about learning to fight.

'People are strange,' Cass thought wryly.

"Here they come," Babs smiled as she saw two women appear on the security cameras and hug each other unselfconsciously. She buzzed them in then turned to the two teens, "Let's go meet the rest of the team."

To be continued....


	3. Chapter 3

Oracle and the Network

Startup 3.0

The city of Metropolis was a very different animal than Gotham, Helena Bertinelli noted as she waited for her friend. You couldn't stand around on a street like this waiting in front of a hotel, you'd be just asking to be mugged. Or suspected of being a robber. And anyone so obviously new in town would be conned, too, with some 'helpful citizen' offering skills as a native guide only to manage to sell you one of the major Gotham bridges.

"Helena!" Zinda Blake grinned as the tall blonde nearly tackled the shorter woman, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Been awhile," she said as she hugged her.

Helena laughed as the black haired woman struggled free of her grip. "Take it easy," she grinned, "it's good to see you, too."

Zinda put a arm over her shoulders as they both looked up at the hotel. "Here we go again," she noted cheerfully, "you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Helena answered, her voice conveying her mixed feelings. On one hand she was glad to be back here with her friends, but she was also more than a bit irritated at Babs disbanding the team without giving any of them a say.

"Aw, cheer up," Zinda lead them, across the lobby to the elevator, where she used her key to activate the route to the penthouse.

The upper floor had a bare look to it, apparently because furnature still had to be ordered in. There were chairs and a table in one room, a bad or two in others, but that was nearly it. But when they opened the hidden door they discovered Oracle's sanctum had been restored to it's former glory, and if Helena was right it had even been upgraded a bit.

"Helena, Zinda," Barbara Gordon turned in her wheelchair, a warm smile lighting up the redhead's face. She rolled toward them, hugging a slightly startled Helena first, then Zinda.

"Hey, boss," Zinda grinned at her warmly as she hugged her back.

Babs looked up at both women as she surprised then again by saying, "I'm sorry."

Helena looked mildly stunned, "Huh?"

Babs smiled wryly, "I should have talked to you both before I decided to shut the team down. I certainly owed you both more, but I was so caught up in my own problems I totally lost track. Will you forgive me?"

"Boss, we both knew you were under stress," Zinda smiled warmly at her, "it's okay."

"This time," Helena said with a half smile, "but if you do it again, I'll kick your ass." Somewhat more seriously she asked, "Understood?"

"Fair," Babs nodded, "come on, Charlie's waiting and I have a recruit I want you to meet. She's a old friend of mine and Dinah's."

"Sounds interesting," Zinda noted as she walked beside Helena and Babs into the meeting room just off of the computer center. A round table had been installed with comfy, space age chairs, one of which was occupied by a old friend.

"Hey Zee, Helena!" Charlotte 'Charlie' Gage-Radcliffe yelled as the redheaded teen bounced across the room, getting a friendly hug from each of them. "About time you got here," she complained, "the old lady has had me assembling computers all week."

"Poor thing," Helena said with mock sympathy even as she scanned the room. After a moment she was the Asian woman standing off to one side, her black clothes and quiet manner seemingly making her invisible.

"Cassandra Cain," Babs gestured her forward, "I'd like you to meet Helena and Zinda."

"We've met," Helena said with a great deal of respect.

Cassandra Cain was the daughter of Lady Shiva and was raised by the deadly assassin David Cain, made into one of the most deadly women alive. After her first kill Cass had been so horrified she fled Cain and the life he planned, living off the streets for years. Curiously she had ended up as a 'irregular' working for Oracle during No Mans Land, the time Gotham city had been written off by the American government as unsalvagable. There she stopped one of her father's assassinations then joined the allies of Batman, eventually becoming Batgirl.

"It's been a while," Cass bowed slightly, her face nearly expressionless.

"I know about the whole going bad thing," Zinda noted cheerfully, "but that was all Deathstroke, right?"

"Something like that," Cass sighed as Babs rolled by to the table, "it's complicated."

"I'd like to invite Cass to join our organization," Babs said as she activated a monitor built into the table, "but not without your agreement."

"I vote yes," Charlie said cheerfully. "Cass has offered to train me!"

'I don't know if that's good or bad,' Helena admitted. Aloud she answered, "I agree, she can join. We could use a fighting expert of her level."

"I'll make it unanimous," Zinda agreed as the pilot walked over to the fridge. "Got any beer in here?" she asked, peering inside.

Babs sighed, "Later. We have a few ideas I'd like to run by you...."

"Really?" Helena asked as she, Cass and Charlie sat down too.

Following that Babs gave them both a general briefing on how she wanted the team to act, as well as expanding her roster of agents. "The people in this room will continue to be my primary team," she finished, "but I intend to have experts available to assist us on operations where needed."

"Like who?" Charlie asked as she munched on some cheetos.

"I'm feeling out several contacts now," Babs shrugged, "including a Gotham PD officer or two, an agent of Checkmate, as well as several others."

"It isn't Spy Smasher, is it?" Helena asked warily, having had more than enough of the overly driven woman for one lifetime.

"No, not Katrina," Babs shook her head as a flicker of concern appeared in her eyes, "she dropped off the radar recently."

"You aren't actually worried about her, are you boss?" Zinda asked, shaking her head. "The woman's a nutjob."

Babs shrugged as she said, "She was a friend, once."

"So," Cass asked mildly as she decided to change the subject, "where will be operating?"

"Where ever we're needed," Babs answered her briskly. "I've got our plane Aerie One and our helicopter Aerie Two being refitted now, and I've hacked into the JLA teleporters for any emergency jumps," she smirked.

"You hacked the JLA?" Charlie blinked, a cheeto falling from slack lips.

"Again," Helena sounded more amused than shocked. "I'm surprised they didn't bring you in for computer security at least," she noted.

"They probably should have," Babs admitted. "Though Batman is no slouch."

Privately Helena rather suspected that Black Canary, the former third member of the Birds of Prey, had been rather uncomfortable calling in Babs. Considering that Dinah had left the Birds to spend more time with her adopted daughter only to promptly lose said daughter and join the JLA... it must have felt kind of awkward.

"Looks like we're about ready to go," Zinda noted with a grin.

"Just about," Babs agreed, "and not a moment too soon."

To be continued....


	4. Chapter 4

Oracle and the Network

4.0 Action

Oracle watched the screens as she talked over her headset, multitasking with a ease that almost surprised her. It had been months since Barbara had worked with a team of agents like this, yet it all flowed back with ease like she had never left.

The drug lab they were raiding was near Suicide Slum, but despite being in a bad side of Metropolis it looked practically clean compared to parts of Gotham. The drug itself was not technically illegal, so new it wasn't even banned yet. But while the police couldn't act on the drugs their team could, and in the process help the cops act too.

"Cass," Babs said briskly, "how's the scouting?"

Cassandra Cain, once known as Batgirl and a former assassin-in-training, calmly made her way down the street. The slim Asian woman had learned the first trick of scouting long ago, to act like you belonged and utterly self confident. The few guards out there assumed she lived in the neighborhood or had some legitimate reason for being there.

"Three guards out front, carrying concealed," Cass said calmly into her throat based microphone, "one at each side, but near enough to call for help."

"Misfit, the back?" Babs asked, even as she watched the police band and kept a eye on a certain major reporter.

Charlotte 'Charlie' Gage-Radcliffe looked like a normal teen in her casual clothes, but the young redhead was anything but. Apparently born with the ability to teleport and some enhanced strength she had decided to become a superhero, originally impersonating Batgirl. Some guidance from Babs and others convinced her to call herself Misfit, and had become a mascot/ward/helper to the team.

Charlie hung from a fire escape, apparently playing one building over as she said, "Two guards in back, and guys watching the windows. Looks like they're carrying concealed too."

High above the building the near invisible helicopter Aerie Two hovered, Zinda Blake keeping a wary eye out for any unusual flying objects. Sitting in the back Huntress adjusted her mask as she asked, "Do we know for sure it's Intergang?"

Babs called up another screen, scrolling through data on a police server then bringing up the files. Almost instantly she answered, "Not confirmed. The weapons the cops got in a bust of a few members of the gang are Intergang issue rayguns, but this kind of job isn't their usual style."

"They usually work towards a larger goal," Cass noted thoughtfully. "Does dealing this drug help them?" she wondered.

"Could be they're trying to get back on their feet," Zinda said casually before asking, "It don't matter much, right?"

"She's right," Babs agreed, "we can sift through the evidence later. Cass, you move first."

Cass was wearing clothes fitting the neighborhood, basically a t-shirt and jeans, and while not classically beautiful she was attractive. She casually sauntered up to the man guarding the west side of the building and smiled charmingly. He smiled back, looking like he won the lottery as she stepped close and murmured, "Sorry."

"Huh?" he started before the first punch hit.

Using knowledge of nerve clusters Cass silenced him, then swiftly knocked him out away from the vision of the other guards. "Misfit, here," Cass ordered.

Misfit teleported in just as a guard moved to see what was going on. The redhead leaped, her cape flapping as she cried, "DARK VENGEANCE!"

"Distraction is go," Babs hid a smile as Cass and Misfit were soon engaging the guards up front and conveniently drawing the attention of the rest of the building. "Zinda, move out."

Silently the Aerie Two swept down to the top of the building, Huntress leaping out onto the roof before it even landed. Watching them on security cams Babs was already in the system overriding the security, popping open the roof door as Zinda landed the helicopter and got out dressed in her black leather Lady Blackhawk gear.

"Where's the lab?" Helena asked tersely as they hurried down, the crossbow mounted on her glove loaded and ready.

"Power usage says fourth floor," Babs said as she checked over data and images on several screens, "and it looks like Cass and Misfit have broken through the guards out front. Calling the police about a disturbance now."

The six story squat tower was well guarded by wandering gang members, but they were clearly unprepared for super heroes. The two groups pressed inward breaking through and past guards, clobbering men larger and theoretically more powerful than they were.

"Dark," Misfit punched a man in the gut as Cass kicked another aside, "Vengeance!" She grinned as they reached the first floor stairs and ran up to the second. "Couple more ray guns on the guards," she noted as they ducked to avoid fire, "a few rifles too."

"Be careful," Babs ordered.

"Always," Misfit answered as she poofed out, teleporting up the hall to appear right behind the stunned guards.

"Aaah!" one man yelped as she appeared and she kicked the gun out of his hand, the five men scrambling to recover.

Almost as fast as Misfit's teleport Cass sprinted up the hall, the guards so distracted they weren't even firing on her. She swiftly tore into the men after Misfit, even as they heard the first sirens in the distance. "Should we withdraw?" Cass asked as she calmly dropped the fifth attacker.

"Head for the roof via the stairs," Babs ordered, "the attack gives the police the excuse they need to enter the building, and a search will find the drug lab."

A officer with the Metropolis PD blinked as his blackberry chimed, signaling he had a new message. Calling up the screen while his partner drove he blinked as the building they were going to came up on the screen. A interior picture appeared of what looked like a drug lab, then some text. "Fourth floor, back side," was printed, "from a concerned citizen."

"Everyone all right?" Babs asked as they came up on the rooftop camera with no one limping or looking hurt, at least.

"We're good," Zinda said as everyone loaded up into the helicopter and they were off.

Babs sat back in her wheelchair in satisfaction as the copter faded to invisibility, then watched on security cams as the men with clearly illegal weapons were found on the street. Teams hurried inside to make sure no one was hurt, probable nicely covered, and soon found the lab based on her tip.

'They were a little rusty, but things had gone surprisingly well for a first outing,' Babs decided. This probably wasn't a major loss for Intergang but any hit to that organization was a good thing in her books, and it made a fine test run, too.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"I still think that was a test run," Misfit said as they descended to their headquarters, a hotel that had been converted to house the computers and other gear Oracle needed to operate as well as ample room for them all to stay.

"So what if it was?" Zinda asked as she guided the 'copter down with barely a shake or quiver. "It was good work and worth doing," she said as she shut the copter down.

"Besides," Cass said calmly as they all got out of the copter, "we also need to practice working together more."

The four women headed into the building, all relaxing visibly. "Got that right," Helena agreed as she took the Huntress mask off, wincing as the gum pulled at her skin. "And we have to get used to being a team again," she admitted.

Inside the set of suites that were the penthouse new furnishings had been moved in, couches and chairs set up. The place still lacked a lived in feel, probably because Babs still spent the majority of her time in the computer labs. Still, Charlie was living there full time and had put a dent into the general cleanness, and Cass had apparently taken a room too.

The group passed through the hidden door into Oracle's lair, the walls covered with screens and Babs sitting right in the middle, typing away one handed as she talked to someone over her headphones. "Thanks," she was saying to whomever was on the phone as she waved them to the meeting table, "I think we can manage a fair trade for information, Sasha. Just don't forget who you're dealing with, please. If I catch the Thinker sniffing around my systems again, you won't get him back."

As Babs disconnected Helena had to ask, "Who was that?"

"Sasha Bordeau of Checkmate," Babs said casually as she rolled over to the meeting table, "I've hammered out a information sharing agreement with her."

"And Thinker?" Charlie wondered, the girl perching on one of the chairs casually.

"An artificial intelligence who's sort of my opposite number at Checkmate," Babs admitted, "he's a supposedly reformed criminal who joined them via the Suicide Squad."

Getting a beer from the fridge Zinda noted, "When you said they wouldn't get him back, you weren't gonna kill him were you?"

"Not kill," Babs smiled unpleasantly as she said, "but I could build a virtual maze it'd take years for him to get out of."

"Cool," Charlie said cheerfully.

Cass had watched the conversation passing, her expression a mix of remote and amused. "Did the police act as expected?" she asked.

"Yes, about what we figured," Babs agreed, "the police are still searching the building, but monitoring back and forth conversations they've already found the drug lab." She frowned, "And a fair sized armory, too."

"Armory?" Helena sat up, her eyes narrowing intently.

"All conventional arms," Babs reassured her, "but they had a mix of machine guns, sub-machine guns and assault rifles, nearly three hundred of them."

Zinda took a pull of her beer then growled, "What the hell does a crime syndicate need with those weapons? That's military hardware."

"Protecting the lab?" Charlie guessed.

"Too many weapons, not enough people," Cass shook her head, thinking.

Helena sat forward in her seat, frowning thoughtfully, "What does that new drug they're peddling actually do to people?"

"Didn't read the briefing?" Babs teased as she called up the data on a screen.

"So I missed a bit," Helena read the screen, "drug induces a powerful high followed by a rapid crash, including severe pain and violent tendencies." She shook her head as the pieces came together, "They were gonna get the junkies high, arm them and unleash them once they crashed?"

"Then go out and pick over what was left," Zinda mused. "I thought these guys were more like gangsters trying to expand their territory?"

"Maybe they have a new boss," Charlie shrugged, "either way this is bad news. How many drug labs like this do they have, you think?"

Babs pulled back from the table as she said, "I'll notify the JLA, JSA, the Titans and Batman. I don't care how many of these bases they have, once everyone knows we'll stop them."

"Gotham police department, too," Zinda called as Babs headed to the computers again.

"Why don't you call them?" Babs called back before adding, "I heard how close you and the commissioner are, after all."

Helena blinked as Zinda went pale, "What?"

Zinda gulped, "I think Babs knows I'm going out with her Dad."

There was a moment of dead silence as ALL the others looked at her. "WHAT?!" Helena and Charlie blurted, while Cass looked on, interestedly.

To be continued....


	5. Interlude & Updates

Oracle and the Network

5.0 Interlude & Updates

The Justice League of America met in the new Watchtower, a satellite orbiting high above the Earth, connected to the Hall of Justice and other bases through a series of teleportational doors. Dinah Lance aka Black Canary was the current leader, and the black clad, athletic blond looked over the group seriously.

"We've gotten an update from Oracle on Intergang activity," Dinah said, feeling uncomfortable discussing her former team even though she kept it off her voice and expression, "they're hawking a new narcotic, a powerful upper that leaves the user nearly insanely violent once they crash."

Batman spoke up calmly, "The Outsiders followed up on a tip and found a similar lab in Gotham, along with a arsenal like the one in Metropolis." He didn't mention that he had several friends checking others towns, deciding that what the JLA didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

Superman nodded as he casually told them, "I found another base like it in Kansas City while I was passing through." He didn't mention that he had passed through visiting his parents in Smallville, because his teammates didn't need to know.

Black Canary suggested, "I think we should spread the word via our allies, search every major city if we can."

"It makes sense," Geo-Force nodded.

"Why not just rely on Oracle to do it?" Hawkgirl asked, Kendra leaning up casually against the round meeting table.

"She likely is notifying other heroes," Black Canary answered patiently, "but I think we need to make sure."

"Will do," Firestorm nodded, the young hero nodding vigorously. He was the second hero to become Firestorm, and was a member of the team because Batman didn't trust letting him run around on his own. Not that the rest of the JLA minded him joining, but most of them did think it was a bit high-handed of Batman...

"Oracle is as sharp as ever," Vixen agreed. The young woman had been part of the Birds of Prey in the past, and had recently received a invite to join her new Network as well. It was a invitation she was seriously thinking of accepting, her only worry being it might conflict with her JLA duties.

"If we have no further business I would like to go," Red Tornado said calmly, the red clad android's cape fluttering, "I wish to ensure my wide and daughter's home town in safe."

"Meeting adjourned," Black Canary nodded, the heroes filing out to teleport away or taking off under their own power.

Wonder Woman walked over to where Black Canary stood and gently touched her arm. "You are troubled, sister," she noted quietly.

"I should have guessed you could tell," Dinah conceded as they walked out of the meeting room together. Out in the hallway she sighed quietly, "I just... it feels like there's unresolved stuff between me and Oracle."

Princess Diana smiled gently as they stood by the view port, gazing at the Earth turning below them. "I though you parted on good terms?" she asked.

"We did," Dinah nodded, "but I left the group to raise my daughter, or at least that was what I had planned to do..."

Diana nodded, "I understand."

Dinah had adopted a child, a little girl named Sin who was meant to be a future Shiva, a super-assassin. Sin had been targeted by the League of Assassins, and while Dinah had done her best to save the child Sin was slain by the League. In the aftermath of that chaos the Justice League had pulled together facing a crisis, and Dinah found herself a member once more.

Diana squeeze her shoulder gently, "It isn't your fault that destiny pulled you into the league again, Dinah. I am sure that Barbara would understand."

"My brain agrees with you," Dinah said wryly, "but my heart..."

Diana laughed softly as she conceded, "I've noticed the heart and mind often confuse one another here in man's world."

"Is it different on Paradise Island?" Dinah had to ask.

"Yes and no," Diana admitted wryly.

Back in the meeting room Superman moved towards the exit as a voice calmly said, "You shouldn't have kicked them out of Metropolis."

Superman looked over at Batman, frowning slightly as he said, "That's a strange thing to say, coming from you."

Batman nodded, silently conceding the point. He was known as a perfectionist, hard on his allies and friends, and he had even driven away one or two of them, temporarily. "If it's your city, like you claim," Batman said flatly, "you should have been there. If you weren't, you have no right to second guess the people in the field."

Superman paused, then nodded slightly. "The truth was, I was scared," he admitted, "the Birds could have been killed, that time. If things hadn't worked out just right..."

Batman nodded, having suspected it was something like that. Superman might be the most powerful hero on Earth (arguably) but deep down he cared far to much for his fellow heroes. It was possibly his one fatal flaw, though no one would probably tell Superman that.

"They can take care of themselves, Clark," Batman said quietly, "trust them."

Superman nodded slightly, "I'll try."

Deciding it was best to change the subject Batman went back to the topic of the meeting and said, "I'll have Nightwing put the word out to the Titans, can you have Conner pass it along to the Teens?"

"He and Robin, yes," Superman agreed. He looked thoughtful, "We'll need to check out the cities without prominent heroes, too, like Opal City."

Both knew that former villain the Shade also operated out of Opal, but neither mentioned him. Batman because he didn't trust the former villain, and Superman because he knew suggesting contacting Shade would upset Batman. On such compromises were long standing friendships maintained...

"Should we notify the Doom Patrol too?" Superman asked as they headed out.

"Not as long as they're affiliated with the Oolong Island villains," Batman shook his head as they headed for the teleporters.

Back on Earth, the network that Oracle was establishing spread out it's threads. The woman called Gypsy smiled slightly as she invisibly followed the robber, her esper ability making him and his gang ignore her. They were raiding STAR labs in New York, apparently hoping to steal advanced weapons or other technology. Just as they were about to penetrate the vault Gypsy flipped a fire alarm, the sirens whooping loudly and panicking them men.

"What the hell?" the leader yelped.

"Shit, the cops and fire guys will be here soon! Run!" another man yelped.

AS they bolted Gypsy invisibly tripped the third man, the other abandoning him. Before he could recover she knocked him out, then hurried after the others. Hidden by her power she dropped the second man, leaving only one running crook to deal with.

"You gotta be kidding me," the man panted as he ran up the stairs, heading towards the exits in the vain hope of escape.

"Hi," a cheerful voice came from nowhere.

"Shit!" he cried as he drew his gun, wheeling around to try to find his attacker.

Calmly Gypsy chopped him across the back of the neck, then punched him when the first blow didn't quite drop him. Casually she used a length of cord to secure his hands and hurried off, knowing the police would be arriving soon.

Escaping the building herself Gypsy let go of her invisibility, revealing a black haired young woman in a loose skirt and t-shirt, with a leather jacket over top. From the street she watched the police hauling the men away, and hoped the cops would hold them for awhile.

Taking out the card Oracle had sent her with a updated email and phone number Gypsy mused, "Maybe I should take up her offer." She smiled wryly, "It might be nice just to have some company on these missions..."

Back in Gotham City, new District Attorney Kate Spencer frowned as she studied briefs on the latest cases, trying to put the invitation she had received out of her mind. As the superhero Manhunter she had worked on her own and as a agent of the DEO to fill in where the law failed, if needed killing criminals who escaped on technicalities.

As time had passed she began questioning her actions, and now Kate was determined to try to stay on the right side of the law. That meant that she had to convict her opponents fairly, so that a hero like Manhunter wouldn't be needed.

'Or like the Birds,' Kate frowned, checking over the details of the Metropolis bust.

The bust was a good one on weapons charges, at least, but the drugs were a whole other story. The narcotic itself wasn't illegal, yet, so they couldn't bust the criminals for that. Kate made a note on another point, realizing they could get a similar lab on chemical safety and pollution laws, too.

A knock on her door made Kate look up and she smiled as James Gordon entered. "Comish," she said with a smile,. "what brings you here?"

"Just checking in on the Intergang mess," Gordon admitted, sighing. "Do you have a angle we can use if a lab turns up in Gotham?"

"Actually, yes," Kate smiled, "I think we can get them on hazardous materials charges, if we turn up a drug lab."

"Of course!" James nodded, the older man smiling, "good work."

"Thank you," Kate smiled, satisfied. A smirk appeared on her face as she teasingly asked, "What's this I hear about you and a certain pilot?"

James Gordon actually blushed, which was surprisingly cute on a man of his age. "Well, I mean...," he stuttered.

Kate grinned, "It's okay, I shouldn't press." She looked amused as she asked, "Is Zinda coming back tomorrow?"

"We're supposed to go out for lunch," James admitted. "She's a bit... overwhelming."

"Good luck," Kate grinned. She was tempted to suggest he take plenty of viagra, but decided it'd be in poor taste.

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Oracle and the Network

6.0 Reformatting

The apartments in Metropolis were set up with the usual Oracle methods, with money moving through numbered accounts and foreign banks. Not that Babs was doing anything illegal leasing suites for her agents, but she didn't want anyone tracing the money back to her. Charlie and Cassandra were both staying with Babs in her base, but Zinda and Helena both needed their own places.

Near Suicide Slum Oracle bought out a abandoned building, and through various cut-outs was having renovated. It would be a combination second headquarters and jumping off point for operations in that part of town, especially if they set out to seriously clean up the crime there. It wasn't as bad as Gotham's Crime Alley, but it sure as heck wasn't good.

Cassandra Cain entered the room near silently, watching as Babs worked, data flowing across multiple screens. "Cross check data on Cameron Chase," Babs murmured, "collate files on Global Peace Agency." Noticing Cass has arrived Babs smiled wryly as she ordered, "Oracle, save and quit search. Stand-by mode."

"You call the computer Oracle?" Cass asked as Babs rolled out of the computer lab, the two walking into the kitchen then out to the living room.

"Sort of," Babs answered, "I refer to the new AI as Oracle, so that it learns to respond to it in low level usage."

"Like when the AI is giving information to super heroes," Cass nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm not entirely certain I like using a AI to field some Oracle calls," Babs admitted as she opened up as single serve orange juice and drank it, "but the volume is getting so much I needed to do something."

"Hmm," Cass nodded slightly.

Barbara looked up at her seriously, "Are you all right with being my escort today? I don't expect trouble but..."

"It's fine," Cass smiled slightly.

The final arrangements for the meeting were made a few days ago, and now it was nearly time. Cass and Babs left the headquarters and went to a local Italian resturant, one that Babs had discovered when they had first moved to Metropolis. They settled into a corner table and ordered, then patiently waited for their guest.

She arrived like any secret agent would arrive, quietly and covertly. Her hair was brown this week, cut in a pageboy style, but she had kept her face mostly the same except for hiding the cybernetic eye. Sasha Bordeaux pulled out the chair and sat, smiling coolly.

"You didn't need the bodyguard," Sasha nodded respectfully towards Cass.

Cass looked around her calmly, "And you didn't need the four... make that five agents, ma'am."

Barbara raised her eyebrows, "I thought you wanted this private?"

"You can never be too careful," Sasha said, smiling faintly. She made a small gesture and her people quietly filed out, moving so that it looked like they were leaving on their own. "So," she said, "you called, I came."

"And thank you for that," Barbara said.

Cass somewhat tuned out the next bits of the conversation, listening with half her attention as Oracle explained her Network concept and how it could benefit Checkmate to participate. Instead Cass focused on the people around them, 'reading' their stances and movements.

"We're being observed," Cass murmured to Barbara quietly, "a table near the window. I don't recognize her."

Barbara covertly looked as she ate a bit of pasta, "Not someone I know." She looked over at Sasha, "She's at your back. Can you see her in a reflection?"

Sasha shifted her gaze, catching a reflection in the counter. "Damn it," she muttered softly.

"What?" Babs asked flatly.

"She's White Side Checkmate," Sasha said flatly, "I assume she's tailing me on his own initiative, I don't see Mr. Teriffic authorizing my being followed."

"Lovely," Babs said sourly. "How do you want to handle this?"

"May I?" Cass asked.

Sasha hesitated as she looked over at Cass in her seat beside Babs' wheelchair. "You aren't going to kill her, are you?" she asked.

"No," Cass shook her head, "I won't even hurt her."

"Go," Babs nodded.

Gracefully Cass got up and walked across the cafe, then calmly sat across for the agent, a woman who looked visibly alarmed. "Yes," Cass said calmly, "you were spotted."

"Oh crap," the woman moved to reach for something under her jacket.

"Don't," Cass cautioned her, "from this position I can disarm you seven different ways. Five do serious harm, and at least one results in you eating through a straw."

The woman paled more, if that was possible. "I am so fucked," she sighed.

"Who are you?" Cass asked her coolly as she waved down a waitress, "And why are you following Sasha Bordeau?"

"I...," the woman started as the waitress dropped off two menus.

The lady studied Cass, and Cass studied her back. It was as if it was written on her face that the woman knew she would have to talk, either here or back at Checkmate. Moreover she hoped a fellow low level operative might reveal things to her, if they did talk.

"I can't tell you who I am, but I go by Eve Winter," Eve said after a moment. She frowned, "My immediate superior was Katrina Armstrong, who was investigating Barbara Gordon before she disappeared. I want to find out what happened to her."

Back at their table Barbara and Sasha were listening in via the microphone Cass was wearing on her shirt collar. "I should have expected this," Sasha admitted with a frown, "Kat was always good as building loyalty with her teams."

"I was wondering where Katrina was myself," Babs admitted with some frustration, "I've been looking for her myself."

Sasha tapped the table with a finger, her expression thoughtful. "This is top secret," she fixed Babs with a gaze, "understood?"

"Yes," Babs agreed. Not that she was promising to keep quiet, of course, but she was admitting she understood. You had to choose your words carefully, with spies.

"After her run in with your organization," Sasha said, "we had to punish Kat for acting without orders. But we also couldn't step on her hard, without admitting to certain parties that you and the Birds of Prey existed."

Babs nodded slight, "I see."

"So we dumped her in a safe house, one off the grid, and put her under house arrest. She'll stay there until we need her for another op, or her 'sentence' ends," Sasha said.

That made Babs frown, "You're telling me she's in a government run secret prison?"

"No," Sasha shook her head, "she's in a very nice apartment. No room service she she has to cook, but..." She smiled faintly as she added, "If it helps, I have talked with her in person and she is okay with her punishment."

Barbara looked at Sasha over her glasses like some angry school teacher, "You can't be serious."

"I am," Sasha answered firmly. She smiled faintly, "What you have to understand is that Katrina is a patriot. She willingly serves her government and believes in things like duty and honor. She knew what could happen if she flubbed an operation and was fully prepared to accept it."

Babs sat back, knowing that what Sasha was saying was true from her own experience. "And you didn't send her after me, back then," she asked, wondering if she would get a different answer from the agent this time.

"No, I didn't," Sasha said promptly, "but I do think the orders originated in Checkmate." As Barbara jerked in surprise she continued, "I think they came from the former Black King, Amanda Waller. Something she set in motion before she was removed."

"Waller...," Barbara muttered, knowing it was entirely too plausable. When Waller was running the Suicide Squad she had found out about Oracle, and they had even worked together. "I'll look into it myself and get back to you," she offered even as Cass returned to the table.

"Eve will meet you outside," Cass told Sasha, "I think she won't run."

"Thank you," Sasha told her, wondering what Cass had told the agent to make her so meek. Frankly, she wasn't sure she really wanted to know...

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"I can't believe you're actually making me go back to school," Charlie sighed as Helena helped her register at the high school nearest to their base.

"You're a minor living with Babs," Helena shrugged as the black haired woman watched the busy office with teachers, students and parents milling around, "If you want her as your legal guardian, she has to put you in school."

"I was kind of surprised by the guardian thing," Charlie admitted.

Helena patted her shoulder gently as she said, "Babs wanted to do it earlier, but with everything that happened..."

"Ooh yeah," Charlie grimaced.

First, the Birds had broken up, then the Calculator went batshit crazy and tried to kill Oracle and her online friends, then there was Darkseid's attack on Earth. They were all lucky to be alive, after facing down the ultimate god of evil and his Anti-Life equation, whatever the hell that was.

"You okay with splitting time between here and Gotham?" Helena asked curiously.

"I think so," Charlie nodded.

With a new Batgirl turning up in Gotham Babs felt a responsibility to keep a eye on her, even as she was running this new Network. Personally Charlie was looking forward to meeting the new Batgirl, from what she could learn about her days as Spoiler. She might even suggest to Babs that they bring this Batgirl onto the team, too.

"There we go," Helena picked up the bundle of papers, the two of them walking up to the registration desk. "Miss," she smiled at the secretary, "we're applying for a late admission?"

"Thank you," the blond haired woman nodded as she flipped through the sheets. "Looks like everything is here," she smiled at Helena then at Charlie, "Welcome to Metropolis Central High."

"Thanks," Charlie smiled. 'Hopefully this will go better than my last time at school,' she thought to herself ruefully.

"Cheer up," Helena laughed as she patted Charlie's shoulder, "now that the hard stuff is done, let's get some lunch."

"Okay," Charlie grinned as the two hurried out.

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Oracle and the Network

7.0

Dick Grayson, the adventurer known as Batman, grunted with effort as the blue and black clad man kicked out gracefully. In the same motion he dodged a attack from another mobster and got clear from two other men meaning to pin him. It was a wild melee as the seven men tried to catch him, but they were getting closer even as he knocked down another one.

"Help is inbound," the voice in his ear said.

"Thanks," Batman muttered as he uppercut a man before he could grab a chair and try to use it to pound Dick silly.

"Dark Vengance!" a girl's voice yelled as the red-brown haired girl hammered into the back of the attacking mob, shaking their concentration. At the same time a slim Asian woman dressed in street clothes calmly began dropping attackers with smooth, precise blows.

"Are you all right?" Cass Cain asked Batman politely as she gracefully karate chopped a man across the neck.

"A bit embarassed about needing to be resued, but other than that fine," Batman admitted. He frowned as the three finished up, "Boss Thorne got out, I sent Robin after him..."

The door was kicked open as two figures strode in, dragging the mob boss between them. Huntress looked amused as the purple and black clad woman pulled on one leg, while the much younger Robin hauled on the other.

"Not bad," Damian Wayne noted as Robin added, "though I'm sure the soldiers my mother trained could do better."

Huntress decided it would be best to ignore that as she checked in with the boss. "Oracle, any more out there?" she asked softly.

"That'd be it," Oracle confirmed quietly, "looks like Thorne was planning a meet with Le Bossu, but the other didn't show."

"That's because we just finished busting Bossu," Dick noted wryly. "Robin and I are trying to track down the rest of the International League of Villains."

Misfit posed with a boot resting on a unconscious crook, "If you need a hand, just call."

Robin sniffed, "As if we'd need YOUR help."

Misfit opened her mouth to snap back when Cass put a hand on her arm and shook her head. "What about Intergang?" she asked.

"No news," Dick shook his head, looking much more serious than usual, dressed in the Batman's cowl.

"Well, we'll just have to keep looking," Oracle said briskly. Her voice went just to the team, "Zinda's on her way to pick you up, ETA one minute."

"Got it," Huntress acknowledged, herding her teammates outside for pick up even as Batman and Robin bundled up the crooks for pick up.

The helicopter dropped it's cloak as the near silent vehicle picked up the Birds of Prey, even as Batman and Robin took off in their new flying car. "Damn," Zinda muttered as the blond watched, "we gotta get ourselves one of those."

"Later," Huntress suggested, the copter returning to cloak as they raced across the Gotham night. "So," she asked Zinda quietly, "how did the talk with Oracle go?"

"What talk?" Zinda asked innocently.

"The talk about you dating her father," Huntress smirked.

"Oh, well...," Zinda flushed slightly.

Back at the Metropolis Aerie Oracle sighed as she listened to the conversation with half a ear, the rest of her attention focused on her other jobs. She had indeed had a talk with Zinda about her dating James Gordon, but it had been a mostly friendly discussion. Honestly her biggest concern had been that Zinda might just be playing with her Dad, but as far as she could tell Zinda was serious about him. Well, as serious as the pilot ever got.

"Oracle," Dick hailed her, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?" Babs asked as she hacked one of Vandal Savage's off-shore accounts. She planned to put the blood money to good use funding a inner-city children's center.

"Has Cassandra picked out a new costumed identity for herself?" Dick asked curiously.

"Not yet," Babs acknowledged as the money flowed into the new accounts she created. "Let me guess, you have a suggestion?" she teased.

More seriously Dick answered, "Actually, I was thinking she could use Nightwing."

"Huh." Babs sat back as the computer pinged, signaling that a criminal's account was now empty. "I'll run it by her," she said, "but I don't know if she'll take it."

"I understand," Dick agreed.

"So how is it going, taming young Damian?" Babs teased, grinning.

Dick sighed softly, "Don't ask."

Babs snickered softly, having been ranted at earlier by Steph, the new Batgirl. Apparently Robin was obnoxious, offensive and 'a little troll.' On the other hand, Steph also had to admit that he was pretty good in the fighting department.

"Call me if you need a hand," Babs offered even as her console signaled her that the team was returning to base.

"Hey Babs!" Zinda called as they trotted in, "Can we get a flying car too?"

"Not until I finish paying off the Aeries," Babs shot back cheerfully as she set the AI to automatic and rolled out in her wheelchair to check on her team.

There was a warm sense of camaraderie forming between the team members, Babs noted. Helena, Zinda and Charlie were already friends, and Cassandra Cain seemed to be fitting in well too. She didn't banter much with the others, but Babs knew that Cass had been fairly shy for as long as she had known her.

"Have you heard back from any of your new recruits?" Helena asked curiously.

"Neither Manhunter or Gypsy wants to be on the team on a full time basis, but they have agreed to be on call if needed," Babs shrugged, "which is all I was really hoping for."

"I look forward to sparring with Gypsy," Cass noted thoughtfully as she grabbed a bottle of water, "she was trained by Bronze Tyger."

Everyone followed her lead, grabbing snacks and water from the fridge in what Babs thought of as the briefing room. "Manhunter has some pretty impressive gear, too," Misfit noted, having worked with the older woman during the previous incarnation of the birds.

"I don't know if I trust her," Huntress shook her head, "Didn't she mess with one of our operations for the DEO?"

"I did kind of hack into her gear without permission," Babs noted mildly. She shrugged, "I think as long as we don't conflict with the DEO, we should be safe."

"And if she betrays us again, we can take steps," Cass said calmly.

"Pie in the face?" Misfit suggested. "Whoopie cushions are good too."

Huntress snickered softly. "Remind me not to get on your bad side," she noted, smiling.

"Speaking of bad sides," Misfit sounded very reluctant as she brought something up, "does anyone know what happened to Black Alice?"

Everyone grimaced at that, except for Cass who just looked curious. Black Alice was a teenager with a frighteningly powerful ability to copy the powers of any other magical being, including the Specter itself! Sadly she was a angry, messed up young woman, and had made several very bad choices using her abilities. Babs had brought her into the Birds of Prey to try to help her, but in the end it didn't work out.

"The last I heard she was tangled up with the Dark Side Clubs," Huntress admitted, "but they're all shut down now."

"I've been trying to track her down as well," Babs said with a sigh. "She went home for awhile, but her father is very ill." She got a container of water herself, "Alice has dropped right off the grid, except for sending money home to take care of her father."

"So where's the money coming from?" Zinda asked thoughtfully.

"I think she's doing mercenary work," Babs admitted, "and there's a name rattling around with the rumors." She took another drink to wet a dry throat, "The Secret Six."

"They're the ones who defied the Secret Society," Helena noted, just a little admiringly. The Birds had faced the Six once, and she had flirted quite a bit with Catman at the time. Nothing had come of it, of course, but still...

"Do you think we should try to break her away from them?" Misfit asked.

"We'd need to find them first," Babs shook her head, "I'm having no luck tracing their base of operations, at least so far."

Cass was perched on the counter, the black haired young woman looking thoughtful. "Maybe we could hire the Six for a job?" she asked.

"It's a thought," Babs conceded. Shaking her head she said, "All right, what did we learn in our little trip to Gotham?"

"There are a lot of new names on the street right now," Charlie said quickly, "and they're fighting the old mobs for dominance."

"And the old mobs are losing," Helena noted, having once been the daughter of one of those mobs. "They're also bringing in new muscle," she added.

"Cops are being run pretty ragged too," Zinda noted, having assisted the police quite a bit recently with her chopper service.

"No sign of Intergang yet, but they will move in if they can," Cass noted mildly.

Babs nodded, proud of her team and their observations. "Exactly right," she said, "and it's because of that we'll be splitting our operations between the Metropolis and Gotham Aeries, at least until things quiet down."

"Assuming they ever quiet down much," Helena said with a faint smile, "this is Gotham we're talking about."

"Point," Babs smiled wryly. Business-like she added, "I think I'll step up my efforts to recruit other Gotham based heroes too."

"If you can't find them electronically give us some names," Zinda grinned as she promised, "we'll track them down."

"I may do that," Babs admitted.

To be continued...

Notes: Catching this up to the regular Batman and Robin canon, where Batman has been replaced by Dick Grayson. I may or may not tie this into Gotham City Sirens, with Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, since I could see Catwoman maybe working with Oracle. Ivy & Harley, not so likely.


	8. Chapter 8

Oracle and the Network

8.0

The problem with supervillains, Huntress found, was that they not only broke their own lives but twisted the lives of their victims too. Take Delores Winters: a lovely actress from the 1940's who was kidnapped by the Ultra Humanite. The mad scientist had his brain transplanted into Winters' body, and the actress' brain stuck inside a suicide.

Maybe the brain transplant drove Winters insane, or maybe there was something evil inside her all along, but Winters went deeply bad. Using the brain transplant scientist Winters had her 'new' body rebuilt and improved, then later kidnapped and killed the daughter of her original body, taking over that shell. She then began to sell medical services of a criminal nature, doing illegal transplants and even enhancing herself with superhuman parts.

Huntress had tracked Winters latest set of labs down to a supposedly abandoned Lexcorp lab in Gotham, and she covertly spied on the facility. Super-crooks of various types came and went, while Huntress listened in via a bug she planted on one goon's cape.

"... come on, we want to see the real stuff," a voice scoffed.

Winters' voice is smooth, almost silky as she said, "I have something very interesting to auction off later."

"And what's that?" the crook demanded.

"The ultimate in power and disguise," Winters sounded smug, "the shape changing skin of a alien White Martian."

"I thought the JLA got rid of them!" another man demanded, sounding surprised.

"Maybe they did, maybe they didn't," Winters replied, "but I have one. Imagine the kind of power it could grant you..."

Huntress listened to the rest of the conversation, her eyes narrowed intently. She had joined the JLA not too long after the Martians attacked, and knew their ultimate fate. There shouldn't have been any White Martians for Winters to capture...

"Oh shit," Huntress muttered, realizing there was at least one out there. 'I'd better call for backup,' she decided grimly.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

The green skinned girl in a red and white shirt and blue skirt sat in the containment chamber, fire flickering around the pod. Miss Martian, aka M'gann M'orzz was a Martian, born far in the past and sent via rocket away from a civil war on her home world. She possessed the same abilities as the Martian Manhunter, more or less, and shared the same vulnerability to fire.

'I knew I should have brought someone along with me,' Miss Martian sighed to herself mentally. She had heard of Winters while investigating a fighting ring for super-humans, and after busting that case decided to investigate Winters activities. But it seemed the criminal was smarter than she expected, and caught the young shape shifter.

One of her watchers, a fire powered woman calling herself Scorch, frowned as she studied M'gann. "Why do you stay green?" she demanded, the blond sneering as she added, "I thought your skin was white, naturally."

"It is," M'gann answered, flinching slightly from the flames she was taunting her with, "but my people were evil. I'd rather stay a Green Martian."

"Isn't that sweet," the older woman sniffed.

"Don't tease the freak," the other guard said, the strange, faceless woman dressed in a muscle shirt and jeans.

"Don't order me around, Answer," the woman growled, fire dancing along her clenched fists.

The woman calling herself Answer got up, her stance calm as she said, "Do you really want me to beat you up again, Scorch?"

The villainess hesitated a moment, then sniffed. "Later," she said, stalking out of the lab with her head held high.

M'gann watched the villains as the woman left, then tentatively reached out her mind to the Answer. She did,'t like using her telepathy on others, and had chosen to only use it on bad people. She gently brushed the woman's mind and froze, gasping, "Oh!"

"Shh!" the faceless woman hissed. "I'm here to help," she murmured.

"But how...?" M'gann asked, blinking.

Before the woman could answer, the whole building shook as if something had hit it. "Damn," the woman sighed, "so much for subtle." Picking up a nearby chair she braced herself, then swung the chair as hard as she could against the glass walls. They shattered nicely, as well as scattering the candles that had been sapping Miss Martian's strength.

"Thank you!" M'gann beamed as the hero known as the Question helped her out.

"Less talk, more hurrying," Question ordered with a smile, "I don't know how long it'll take for Winters to get someone back here."

"I think they're a little busy," M'gann said as they hurried out of the lab and into a empty hallway, the building shaking again.

They opened doors as the sounds of battle grew louder, in the process finding at least two victims of Winters experiments. "Shit," Question cursed as she saw the body floating in a jar, the hands having been surgically removed.

Just then Scorch hurried up the hall, fire dancing around her hands as she growled, "I knew you couldn't be trusted!"

The Question didn't respond, instead stepping forward to dodge the first swing of the crazed villain. As Scorch was off balance the Question drove a elbow into her gut, knocking the woman's breath out of her. Scorch staggered backwards then the Question punched her in the face, knocking the older woman cold.

"How...?" M'gann blurted, eyes wide.

"Practice," Question answered, the two abandoning the villain as they raced down the hall.

"That injured man..." M'gann protested as Question hauled her along.

"We'll try to help him once we get you out," Question said firmly even as she kicked open a door into a much larger room. "Wow," she blurted as she saw the battle raging within.

The Teen Titans were tearing into a crowded room of super villains, the kids doing incredible damage. Red Robin was leading them, the cowled hero leaping and dodging as he punched and kicked, while right behind him Blue Beetle blasted enemies with his alien armor. Above them Superboy and Wonder Girl were dealing with the big guns, both impossibly strong kids doing incredible damage.

"Hey, Megan!" Ravager waved, the white haired girl dressed in her blue and orange combat gear, her swords gleaming. "Damn idiot," she growled as she fought over to their side, "you should have told us where you were going!"

"Sorry, Rose," M'gann looked sheepish, "I thought I could handle it myself."

"Idiot," Ravager repeated, but there was fondness in the tone.

Superboy punched the villain Blackrock unconscious, then dropped to their side. "Has anyone seen Winters?" he asked curiously, the black haired teen frowning slightly.

"Huntress said she'll get her," Question said, smiling grimly.

"She's the one who called us in," Superboy admitted as he casually backhanded a b-lister calling himself Priex, "how's you get involved?"

"Called in by Oracle to go undercover," Question answered casually as she ducked under the Wasp's stingers then kicked him in the face.

The door to the rear of the meeting room was kicked open, and Huntress dragged the white skinned Winters inside, her uniform marked with ice. "Ugh," Huntress sight as she tossed the villain to the floor, "I'm freezing!"

"Let me," Superboy bathed her in his heat vision, melting the ice and swiftly warming the older woman up.

"Thanks," Huntress sighed in relief.

"I'll put a call in to Checkmate, they can round up these guys and hopefully help the injured," Red Robin said briskly. He smiled, "Good work everyone."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Oracle smiled as she checked her messages, the redhead running through various files as she sat in front of the computers in the Aerie. "Huntress," she smiled as her friend checked in, "did things turn out all right?"

"Pretty much," Huntress answered over the radio, "M'gann is fine, we broke up the surgery ring, and Winters is behind bars." Her voice dropped, "I am a bit annoyed with you, boss."

Oracle flinched, well aware what Huntress might be cranky about. "Oh?" she asked mildly.

"Why didn't you tell me Question was in there undercover?" Huntress demanded. "We could have worked together to get Megan out without calling in the Titans," she complained.

"To be honest Question could only check in with me to a limited extent," Oracle said sheepishly, "I didn't know exactly where she was at the time."

"Huh, I hadn't thought of that," Huntress admitted.

"Her and her associate Tot got involved via a request off their 'answer the question' website," Oracle revealed, "apparently the relative of a kidnapped villain asked for help. I was digging into the money at the time, and we agreed to team up."

Huntress sighed quietly. "I suppose that makes sense," she conceded, "but next time, at least try to keep me informed."

"Will do," Oracle promised. She smiled slightly, "I guess you need to know why I was digging into Winters? It relates to our ongoing Intergang case."

Huntress hesitated then said, "Oh hell... they're enhancing Intergang soldiers?"

"Well, thankfully you've just closed that down," Oracle said cheerfully. "I'm hoping they haven't created too many enhanciles before we stopped them."

"We'd better keep an eye out," Huntress agreed. "What is the rest of the team up to?" she asked.

"Charlie and Cass are at school," Oracle said as she tracked them by GPS, "Black Canary's at work, Lady Blackhawk is with my dad doing things I don't want to think about..."

"That bothers you a bit?" Huntress asked as she ran across the city's rooftops.

"Yeah, a little," Oracle admitted. She smiled to herself wryly, "No one wants to imagine their parents still having a sex life."

Huntress snickered, "Poor thing."

"Your sympathy overwhelms me," Oracle said dryly. "See you back at base?"

"Yeah once I finish my patrol," Huntress agreed, signing out.

To be continued...

Notes: Delores Winters is a real DC comics character with that history in the comics. I swear, I never made ANY of it up. Scary, huh?


	9. Chapter 9

Oracle and the Network

9.0

The status of Intergang took some searching, even for someone as effective as Oracle. The Question was a big help, providing names from her run ins with the gang, including Miss Whisper A'Daire and Mr. Kyle Abbot. Kyle appeared to have gone straight, the former wolf-man now powerless, but Whisper was still in the organization. Tailing her lead then to Frank Sixty, a criminal cyberneticist who had been behind a recent incarnation of Intergang.

"So he's running a cyborg chop-shop?" Charlie asked, dressed in her Misfit gear as the redhead perched on the Metropolis rooftop, watching the run down building. "Don't sound like he's the head of Intergang, anymore," she frowned.

"Agreed," Huntress nodded, the purple clad heroine sitting nearby while sweeping he building with her binoculars, "but he's still a connection we can trace." She activated her radio and reported in, "We're in position."

Oracle nodded, Barbara Gordon sitting in the high tech control center of the Aerie. She was in Metropolis too, to cut down on communication lag as well as to be on hand in case of trouble. On the screen before her was the badly run-down building, as well as the official floor plan and a projection based on further data she had gathered.

"Cass, are you ready?" Oracle asked.

"Yes," the asian girl answered calmly from a doorway, standing on street level with the Question. She was dressed all in black, a long sleeved shirt, pants and light boots.

"As my eloquent partner put it, we're ready to move," Renee Montoya noted, not wearing her usual faceless mask yet, instead wearing jeans, a t-shirt and a weathered jacket. "But I'm not sure about just going in the front door," she noted, "do we have a cover story in place?"

"What, you don't want to be posing as a possible client?" Oracle joked.

"Hell no," Renee said dryly.

There was a soft chuckle then Oracle continued, "You're a private eye, investigating one Horace Yoks. He went into Sixty's shop and didn't come out."

"I'm not licensed as a PI here, only in Gotham," Renee had to note.

"You are now," Oracle answered calmly, "I filed the paperwork and cleared it this morning."

"Sometimes you scare me," Renee sighed.

"So it's just us four?" Helena asked curiously.

"Hey!" an indignant Zinda yelped from the cloaked helicopter that was hovering over the building nearly silently.

"Sorry," Helena chuckled, "but you know what I mean, us four on the ground."

"Yes, but I have backup on call," Oracle said, "and to be honest I don't expect too much trouble. Sixty is clearly on the outs with his former allies."

"So we'll bust in from the top while the others distract them," Charlie nodded eagerly, "it'll be a piece of cake!"

"Don't underestimate them," Cass cautioned quietly, "overconfidence leads to defeat."

"Yes, Mr. Miyagi," Charlie sighed.

Renee saw the look of blank confusion on Cass' face and bit back a chuckle. "I'll explain it later," she quietly promised the young woman. She checked her watch and noted it was time as she loudly said, "We're going in."

Frank Sixty wasn't terribly impressive on first glance. He was a older man, with white hair, but he wasn't stooped and seemed reasonably muscled. There were hints he'd gone under the knife before, so Renee wasn't sure if her impressions were correct.

"Frank Sixty?" Renee asked as they went in the small curiosity shop, a cover for the surgical office their target maintained in the back.

"Don't use that name!" the man hissed. He glared at the two of them as he said, "I'm just old Frank, running his little shop."

"Don't screw with me," Renee strode forward as Cass quietly loomed in the background, "I know your rep, old man." She flipped out her PI's licence, then put it away as he wilted visibly.

"What so you want?" he asked flatly, Frank keeping a wary eye on Cass too.

Renee knew that Huntress and Misfit were already covertly entering from above, searching the building while they kept Sixty occupied. 'Better not underestimate him,' she reminded herself, 'he did attack the city with a giant robot crab.' Clearing her voice she gruffly said, "I'm searching for a missing person, one Horace Yoks,"

"That poseur?" Frank blinked. He barked a laugh as he said, "He chickened out! He refused to go through with it..."

Renee put a hand on a dusty counter and leaned towards him, "And THEN what happened?"

"Nothing to do with me," Frank answered bluntly.

"Wanna bet?" Renee demanded even as they began to hear sounds coming from upstairs, including the distinctive sound of energy weapons.

Frank looked up, alarmed as he demanded, "What is that!"

Frank back away, and his arms began to bulge, as if something was trying to burst out. "Cass, now!" Renee barked, even as she drew a pistol from under her jacket.

Cass moved like a shot, vaulting over the counter as she kicked the old man in the chest, driving him backwards. He hot the wall with a metallic clang, even as she delivered precise blows to the face and neck. "Nerve strikes don't work," she noted calmly as Frank's arms extended to tentacles and tried to grab her.

"Look out!" Renee said as she fired, bullets clanging into the writhing metal tubes. "He's like some kind of squid," she muttered.

Just then a shaped charge exploded the wall between the 'shop' and the labs, and Huntress and Misfit exploded in, fighting what looked like a mob of b-movie robots. Squat bodied and with tentacles or pincer claws the robots looked foolish, but they fought with a angry desperation.

"Dark Vengeance!" Misfit yelled as she kicked one to pieces, then grabbed another that was lunging at Renee.

"Get off me!" Huntress growled, using her bo staff to bash another robot to pieces. Thankfully the sheer number of robots were dropping off as the four women bashed, clobbered and blew them up, while Cass pummeled Frank Sixty.

"Get away, damn it!" Frank yelped as he tried to pluck Cass off with a robot arm, and failed. "What are you, some kind of monkey?"

"Oook," Cass grinned as she hit him again.

Renee calmly shot a robot trying to crawl towards them, then looked around at the fallen robots. "That's it?" she asked.

"Damn it, we were fighting these damn things from the top floor down!" Huntress ranted as she kicked a robot repeatedly, "They may be made of junk, but there's a LOT of them!"

"Right," Renee briskly walked over to where Cass was restraining Frank, more or less. "Now," she smiled as she put her pistol under his chin, "where were we?"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"You didn't need to threaten him with a gun," Oracle noted disapprovingly some time later as Zinda ferried the team back to base.

Renee was sitting back, relaxing in her seat. "He was about half cyborg, I think," she pointed out, "I really doubt anything else would have done it."

"Did we get any good data from the thingy we stuck into the computers upstairs?" Misfit asked eagerly.

"It's a zip drive," Oracle sighed, "and yes, it introduced a Trojan Horse into his system. I'm reading everything he's doing, including some frantic calls to Intergang."

"Nice, Chief!" Zinda cheered as they soared along the skyline.

"So he was still working for Intergang?" Huntress asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"Yes, but apparently merely as a cybernetics sub-contractor," Oracle noted. "Once I parse the data, I should know more."

"Sub-contractor?" Misfit griped, "Since when did supercrooks go corporate?"

"I blame Lex Luthor, usually," Oracle joked.

Even Cass got that one, chuckling quietly. "So what's next?" she asked calmly.

"The boss sorts files, we get back to our daily lives," Huntress shrugged slightly. She looked over at Cass, "Did you finish the assignments I left for you?"

Cass nodded as she said, "I completed the whole workbook."

Huntress winced slightly, "You didn't have to do ALL of it..."

"Huh?" Renee looked curiously at the two women.

"Cass' education has been somewhat spotty," Huntress shrugged as she explained, "Babs asked me if I wanted to help out a bit."

"Ah," Renee nodded, and took a moment to quietly explain the 'Mr. Miyagi' comment to Cass too. Cass looked quite cute, trying to 'get' pop culture.

The helicopter came in low and fast, then slowed to a stop as they landed at the concealed helipad on their Metropolis base. The women unbuckled and headed in, still talking away with each other cheerfully.

"Do you need any help?" Misfit asked as they went down the hall into the apartments. "I'm pretty good at the whole school thing."

"Math and then Algebra," Cass shrugged.

"Eww, no," Misfit winced as she took her mask off. "If you need help with English or History, call," Charlie offered with a smile.

Renee hid a smile as she went through the apartments and living room, then opened the hidden door to Oracle's chambers. "Babs?" she called cautiously, having once walked in on her in a towel, sitting in front of the computers. Not that Renee minded the view, but...

"Come in," Babs said cheerfully, wheeling out from behind the computers in slacks and a t-shirt. As the others came in she smiled warmly, "Good work, everyone."

"Thanks," Helena grinned, having ditched her Huntress cowl. "You need us to run around beating people up some more? Because I'd kill for a shower right now."

"I'll wash your back," Renee volunteered cheerfully.

To be continued...

Notes: Frank Sixty is in fact a REAL DC character who tried to attack the city with a giant cybernetic crab. Seriously.


	10. Chapter 10

Oracle and the Network

10.0

Amanda Waller was a big woman, and not just in weight. She was tough, strong, and quite imposing, and that was before factoring in her government connections. She had served three presidents, running black operations like the Suicide Squad, as well as being involved with Checkmate and other organizations. She was possibly one of the ten most powerful people in the United States, not counting the superhumans.

Amanda opened the door to her apartment, noting the security systems were all secure. She shut the door, walked into the living room then stopped cold as she saw a familiar figure sitting there waiting for her.

"Amanda," the woman in the wig and sunglasses sitting in a wheelchair said to her calmly, "we need to talk."

"Oracle," Amanda nodded slightly. Oh, she knew that voice, even though it was being run through a distorter and so on. "What do I owe the pleasure?" she asked as she shrugged off her coat and sat down on the couch facing her. She wasn't going to ask how Oracle beat her million dollar state of the art security system, she knew the woman wouldn't tell her anyway.

"Some old business and some new," Oracle acknowledged calmly. "When you were head of Checkmate, why did you send Spy Smasher after me?"

"I knew that would come back to haunt me," Amanda admitted with a sigh. She got up as she asked, "Can I get you a drink?"

"No," Oracle answered as she watched her pour from a bottle in a hidden mini-bar. "Well?" she asked calmly.

"Yes, I sent Kat Armstrong after you," Amanda acknowledged as she took a drink, "why would take some explaining, and some of the story is politics."

"I'm listening," Oracle said neutrally.

"I supported Luthor as President, and when he went down I lost a lot of power," Amanda shrugged, "and I was left holding the bag for some of his decisions. I was a embarrassment to the new president and ended up shuffled over to Checkmate as a US representative and hopefully a mole to act for US interests."

"You reactivated the Suicide Squad around then too," Oracle noted.

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "Anyway, I needed to regain prestige in the US military and intelligence establishment. I was... pushed into assisting with a international project to send super criminals to another planet, one I disagreed with."

"Sounds chancy, considering the types you were sending away," Oracle noted, "you knew they'd get back eventually, and probably be pissed."

"Exactly," Amanda agreed. She didn't mention that the same project cost her one of her best agents, Deadshot. He was STILL pissed she double crossed him. She puffed out a breath, "The Department of Defence came to me with a offer: more control of domestic affairs in exchange for you." She smiled grimly, "They obviously didn't know exactly who you were or that we'd worked together, all they knew was there was a mystery hacker of phenomenal skill, and she or he had a team of effective agents. They wanted a handle on you, if not actual direct control."

"So you sent Kat," Oracle said calmly.

"Yes, which was a mistake, considering her personal issues with you," Amanda admitted candidly. "Her mission brief was just to establish contact and leave your organization intact, NOT directly take over."

"Which she completely ignored," Oracle sighed.

"Pretty much," Amanda admitted as the door to the apartment slammed open and troops poured in, swiftly surrounding where Oracle sat.

Oracle didn't seem bothered as the guns pointed at her. "Communications device hidden in the bar?" she asked coolly.

"You're under arrest," Amanda ignored the question as she said, "I can't believe you'd be dumb enough to confront me directly."

"And I can't believe you'd be dumb enough to think I'd put myself in your reach," Oracle answered, looking amused then her face went entirely blank.

"What...?" Amanda started.

"She's rapidly heating up!" a soldier with advanced scanning gear clamped to his gun yelled, "It's a bomb!"

Amanda was bodily picked up and hauled out of the room, the troops rapidly following her out before there was a muffled boom. After a few seconds she shoved several soldiers aside and went back into her apartment, where a strangely focused explosive device had destroyed Oracle and charred a large patch of her carpet.

The phone rang a few seconds later, and a somewhat shaken Amanda picked up the call, "Waller. This had better be good."

"That was a intergang surplus android," Oracle said calmly, "my remotes tell me no one was harmed in the explosion."

Amanda mentally reminded herself to sweep her home for bugs, assuming Oracle wasn't just messing with her. "I didn't THINK you were that dumb." She paused and asked, "What was the new business you wanted to discuss?"

"I'm establishing a Network, a bit like my old Birds of Prey but with greater reach and power," Oracle said, "I want you as a information source."

"You're kidding," Amanda said flatly.

"In return I can assist you in dealing with entities like Kobra, the Loa and others which you, for various reasons, can't touch."

Amanda frowned, wondering how she knew about Kobra's return, something that was well above 'classified.' "Wait, what do..." she started to ask.

"I'll be in touch," Oracle said then severed the connection.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Back in the Aerie in Gotham, Oracle sat back with a smirk. She was moderately proud of actually catching Waller off guard, considering how dangerous the woman could be. Getting Waller off balance was the only way she could be reasonably sure to get somewhat straight answers from the political manipulator too. Babs was also glad to get some use out of the Intergang surplus. She had bought the robots from a police auction to make sure they didn't fall right back into criminal hands.

After she briefed Huntress and the others who had been around for the original run in with Spy Smasher, Helena frowned, "From what you've said, I though you and Waller got along?"

"It's complicated," Barbara admitted as they sat around a table, not far from the computing center. "I worked with Waller shortly after I started out as Oracle, and I like to think we got to be friends," she mused.

"But?" Misfit prompted, knowing Babs wasn't finished.

Barbara shrugged, "But Waller is also firmly focused on the 'greater good' and if she needs to throw a friend under a bus to get there, she'll do that."

"Lovely friend," Huntress said dryly.

"Yeah, well, I know where I stand with her," Barbara said with a sigh. "I don't trust her, and she knows that. Vice versa too."

"So if you know you can't trust her, why bring her into the Network?" Misfit asked curiously.

"Because I want to keep an eye on her. Keep your friends close and all that," Barbara shrugged.

"Makes sense I suppose," Huntress said dubiously. She got up, stretching, "Now sorry to say I need to beat it boss. I need some sleep before work tomorrow."

"And I have classes," Misfit pouted. "Who's bright idea was it to put me in school again?" she grumbled as she trailed after Huntress.

Babs bit back a chuckle even as she headed to the computers to check on her other allies and agents. It took only a second for the system to query their pagers, and each member came up on the screen; Cass was patrolling out by Metropolis' Suicide Slum again, baiting muggers, Zinda was in Gotham at the Police Central offices, along with Manhunter.

Barbara still felt bit... odd, about Zinda seeing her father, James Gordon. It wasn't that she disapproved or anything, but she was physically younger than him. (Though she was from World War two. Time travel made things strange.) She also was more a partyer than Babs was comfortable seeing with her dad. Still, Zinda seemed serious about things so...

Renee Montoya was also in Gotham, and the Question was someone that Babs found herself thinking about too. The young police officer had worked with her father before quitting the force and becoming the Question. In the time afterwards Renee had been connected to Kate Kane, whom Babs strongly suspected was Batwoman. They had broken up, apparently, and she had noticed Renee flirting with Huntress.

'That could make things complicated,' Babs thought with a sigh, 'I wonder if I should talk to her about it?'

Babs smiled as a message from Gypsy came in. She was in New York, investigating a Intergang cell there too along with Manhattan Guardian and Bulleteer. She relayed the heads up to the Justice Society, the group nearest to respond just in case.

For a moment Babs considered putting in a private call to Dinah, but quickly dismissed the idea. She had offered Dinah, Black Canary, a opportunity to join her new Network, and the heroine had said that the Justice League took precedence. Understandable, certainly, but it still stung considering how Babs had helped get Dinah back on her feet way back when.

Babs shook her head wryly. On the other hand if SHE had been made the leader of the JLA... well, Babs would have had a hard time turning that down too. In a more cheerful mood she fielded information requests from Booster Gold and Arsenal. Both were chasing a person smuggling ring, and she quite happily hacked into the criminal's bank to track where she was going. Hopefully the two could save the victims...

In between snacks Babs did the Oracle thing for most of the rest of the day, only switching the system to the AI in the evening. Tiredly she rolled her wheelchair out of the computer lab, closing the concealed door and heading to the kitchen for something to make for dinner.

"Ugh," Babs sighed, looking into the fridge and seeing only a few frozen dinners. She REALLY needed to remember to stock up... deciding she didn't feel like take out Babs locked up and took the elevator down to street level, knowing several good eateries were nearby.

"Gimme all your money!" the young man yelled, leaping out from a nearby alley.

Babs never even slowed down, detaching the metal batons concealed in her chair. She slammed one into his leg behind the knee, then used another to knock the gun out of his hand before he even hit the ground. With a casual strike she knocked him out, leaving him sprawled on the pavement.

"Guess attempted muggings happen here too," Babs sighed as she got her phone out and called the cops. 'This is going to make dinner even later,' she thought glumly.

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Oracle and the Network

Chapter Eleven

Katrina Armstrong was in Washington DC, in a small apartment in one of the badder parts of town. Most people didn't realize how dangerous parts of Washington could be, with drug dealers, rampant crime and so on. This apartment building LOOKED as seedy as the buildings around it, but in this case appearances were decieving.

The outside of the building and the enterance way looked bad, admittedly. But once you got past that, the clean halls and guards indicated it was NOT your typical apartment building. Taken over by the federal government it served as a covert location to stash people the government needed hidden, for various reasons. It was a comfortable prison, with a internet and cable connection, nice kitchen and bedroom and all the amenities, but it was still a prison. Still, it was also a punishment that Kat had willingly accepted, knowing she had screwed the pooch.

On paper the Birds of Prey assignment should have been simple. Contact the Birds or Prey and Oracle, let them know the government was on to them, then enlist their help in exchange for not shutting them down. The problem was, Kat knew Barbara Gordon, and was damn certain she wouldn't meekly follow orders, blackmail or no blackmail. So instead Kat did her best to take over the organization, to carry out the mission.

The good news was, they successfully saved the heroine Ice and stopped her from being auctioned off by the Russians. The bad news, however, was that the entire Birds of Prey team hated her guts and their pilot, Zinda Blake, resigned. And the worst news hit once they got back to the states, where Barbara challenged her for control of the Birds.

'I underestimated her,' Kat admitted ruefully. Babs challenged her to singe combat, which Kat foolishly agreed to. Babs then proceeded to wipe the floor with her, despite being confined to a wheelchair. It had been embarassing, the beat down was so bad.

And to top it all off, Zinda Blake mobilized the entire membership of current and former Birds agents. That assemblage of power was enough to cow even Kat, especially after she realized that she could end up with the JLA and JSA opposing her.

Kat sighed shaking her head as she went to the PC on one side of the living room. This trip down memory lane was inspired by Amanda Waller contacting her. She felt the need to warn Kat that Oracle was investigating her past, and was possibly after Kat. Which was rediculous, Kayt knew. Oracle wasn't the vindicative type, or the Joker would be dead by now.

While penned up here Kat was still put to use, via secure internet connection. Before starting her fieldwork she had been a excellent analyst, and now she was back to doing that again. Her job was to study comunication intercepts from the superhuman community, flag possible threats and to extrapolate possible situations the US might need to intervene in.

Technically this was more DEO than Checkmate work, but her superior Sasha felt that keeping a close eye on the superheroes in the States was very important. Every major superhuman crisis in the last few years had come from the US, other than Black Adam anyway. And any early warning that Checkmate could get would be invaluable.

'Intergang is cropping up a lot in chatter,' Kat noted as she reviewed files. The JLA and JSA had very secure communications, meaning that she couldn't get much from their internal services. But members off duty were almost criminally casual about information safety. Hell, Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan discussed JLA business over the phone!

(Both men's identities were known in the intelligence community, of course. Oliver had blown his secret ID as Green Arrow several times over the years, and Green Lantern hadn't been terribly cautious either. After Ray Palmer published his auto-biography revealing his identity as Atom the DEO and other agencies investigated the hell out of any of his civilian friends, identifying several JLAers.)

The DEO and Checkmate were monitoring the Intergang situation, but so far they weren't taking action. It was technically a drug enforcement issue, but the weapons dealing was getting out of hand. Worse was the fact that Intergang had been looking into enhancing soldiers with superhuman abilities. That was illegal in the US, and the UN had a ban on that type of experimentation.

'Not that anyone follows it,' Kat thought, 'but I suppose it's the thought that counts." She bundled up the Intergang report and sent if off, along with a recommendation to send information to local police as well as cooperate with the FBI.

There was a soft chime as the mail program sent out the report, as usual. What was not as usual was the second chime. Kat looked at her computer, blinking as Skype popped open, then feeling a sinking sensation as a VERY familiar face appeared in the chat screen.

"Hello, Kat," the redhead smiled, "it's been awhile."

"Barbara, how the HELL did you get into this system?" Kat had t ask, exasperated. This was SUPPOST to be the most secure network in the US. If a hacker could break into it, even a master hacker like Oracle, well...

"Don't worry, it's very secure," Babs replied, "I should know, I helped design the security."

Kat opened her mouth to say something rash, then closed it again. "Explain," she said.

Babs shrugged slightly, "You know my methods, Watson."

Kat grit her teeth at the Sherlock Holmes reference, but she got the point. Probably Oracle had infiltrated one or more parts of the process of setting up their internal network. Hardware or software side, who knew? Either way she would have to report this to her superiors, who would have kittens.

"You contacted Waller recently, now me," Kat changed the subject, "why?"

"Information," Babs said calmly, "I have it, and I'm willing to give it to you to give to your superiors. My only request is you keep my name off it."

"You know I'll double check everything you give me," Kat noted even as she tried not to seem eager. Say what you would about her, Oracle had connections everywhere. She very likely knew things that would make politicians quake in their boots.

"I'd expect nothing less," Babs nodded. "I'm sending the file now," she said then added, "you're welcome to tell your superiors I contacted you, but you'll find no trace on your system."

The message cut off, leaving Kat alone in her suite once again. She was morbidly certain that Babs was telling the truth about there being no trace of the message, but she still had to report it. Probably exactly as Babs intended...

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Metropolis got called the city of tomorrow a lot, but Huntress wasn't sure she agreed. Oh, the city was high tech, yeah, but it also had a very... old fashioned feel at times. The city could be nearly mid-western at times, she almost expected some big galoot to bump into her and saw "Sorry, ma'am."

"Oooh," Helena grunted as she hit a brick wall while coming out of a downtown coffee shop.

The brick wall turned, revealing a handsome, tall and damn well muscled guy, in glasses. "Sorry, ma'am," he said apologetically.

Helena sighed but managed a smile as he helped her up. "It's fine," she said, "I suppose I wasn't looking where I was going."

Helena took a moment to look glasses guy over. He was tall, nearly Batman tall, and was pretty damn well muscled, even though he tried to conceal it with the tailoring of his blue business suit. He wasn't rich either, since there was some wear on the suit too. He also looked familiar, though it took Helena a second to place him.

"Clark Kent, right?" Helena asked curiously. "I've seen your picture with your stories in the Daily Planet."

"Nice to meet you, Miss...?" he looked questioning.

"Helena Bertinelli," she nodded politely. "Just moved to the city and still getting used to it," she admitted with a smile.

"What do you think of Metropolis?" Clark asked curiously.

"Not sure if I like it, honestly," Helena admitted.

Clark seemed honestly surprised at that. "Really?" he asked. "Admittedly I've lived here a while, but..."

"It's a nice town," Helena conceded, "but the video cameras all over the place are a little freaky. Not to mention how... well, how obsessively clean the place is. Compared to Gotham it's spotless. Feels like living in a movie set."

"That's something I hadn't considered," Clark admitted. He took out a business card and handed it to her, "I've got to get to work, but I think you have a instesting insight. Maybe I could do a story on newcomers to Metropolis or something."

"Maybe," Helena took the card even as she wished she hadn't slipped and mentioned she was from Gotham. "This better not be a pick up line," she joked.

Clark just smiled as he headed off, "Sorry, ma'am, I'm married."

"Too bad," Helena muttered, then shook her head. She had work to do, and not that much time to get there.

Working as a superhero in Metropolis was both similar to Gotham and very different. Both cities had superhero communities, both had cops with varying levels of cooperation with heroes, both had a major hero arguably in charge. But, Metropolis, oddly, was much more friendly to superheroes.

Take the mugging she stopped a few days ago. In Gotham there was at least even odds a cop would shoot at you, and the assumption was that unless you were OBVIOUSLY innocent, the cops assumed you were guilty. In Metropolis she was thanked by the beat cops, was asked for a autograph by the lady she rescued and sent on her way.

'Might have something to do with my being in the JLA a bit,' Helena conceded as she ducked into a alleyway and changed to her Huntress uniform. She scaled a fire escape and hit the roof, checking around for her target.

Professor Emil Hamilton LOOKED like a innocent old man, but looks could be decieving. He had attacked society after Lex Luthor stole his advanced technology, but was stopped by Superman. Seemingly reformed he was a ally of Supes for a time, but jealousy twisted him into becoming the villain Ruin and trying to destroy Superman.

'Problem is, he got his freedom with a temporary insanity defense,' Huntress thought as she watched the man walking to his lab in Suicide Slum.

Now, normally they'd just keep an eye on him and wait to se if he violated parole, but there was a added complication. Intergang was sniffing around him too, probably hoping to either steal his technology or use him as a resource. Either way would be bad news. So she was tailing him, quietly, and hopefully could intercept any trouble.

'Oh crap,' Huntress thought as a woman dressed in purple armor came out of the blue sky, heading right for Hamilton, 'I'd say that's trouble.'

"Emil Hamilton, Repulse has come for you!" the woman declared.

"Go away!" Hamilton yelled as he started to run away, surprising the girl.

"I thought you WANTED..." Repulse started.

Huntress loaded a blunted arrow in her wrist mounted crossbow and fired even as she swung down towards them. The woman heard the shot and gestured, then seemed shocked as the wooden arrow smacked her right in the forehead.

"Oww!" she staggered back then Repulse glared at Huntress. "Why you..."

Before things could escalate any more a red and blue streak appeared between them. Surprisingly it was NOT Superman, instead it was a blonde in a mini-skirt. "What is going on here?" Supergirl asked with a frown.

To be continued...

Notes: Going with the earlier version of Clark Kent: BIG guy who just acts wimpy, more or less.


	12. Chapter 12

Oracle and the Network

Chapter 12

Supergirl didn't patrol the city as much as her cousin, Kal. Partially it was her wanting to maintain a separate life from her responsibilities, and part of it was the tendency of life to just drop things into her lap to deal with.

Case in point: Supergirl was just minding her business when she sensed a woman with magnetic powers not too covertly following behind former super villain Emil Hamilton. With a sigh she changed into costume, then hurried over to see what was going on.

"Emil Hamilton, Repulse has come for you!" the woman declared, clearly having studied the sort of villain guides that Lex Luthor used.

"Go away!" Hamilton yelled as the older man started to run away, surprising the girl.

"I thought you WANTED..." Repulse said, surprised.

Supergirl watched Huntress load a blunted arrow in her wrist mounted crossbow and fire even as she swung down towards them. The woman heard the shot and gestured, then seemed shocked as the wooden arrow smacked her right in the forehead.

"Oww!" she staggered back then Repulse glared at Huntress. "Why you..."

Deciding things were going to just escilate more if she didn't get involved, Supergirl zipped through the air to stand between them. "What is going on here?" Supergirl asked with a frown.

"Kidnapping, I think," Huntress offered.

"You too will fall to the power of REPULSE!" the armored woman threatened Supergirl rather desperately, really.

Supergirl did a fast vision scan, determining that the lady was wearing a outfit loaded with technology. Sadly she couldn't determine the purpose of all of it, so she decided it was better to be safe than sorry.

"AIEEE!" the girl squealed as Supergirl used her super speed and bodily stripped the girl of her battle armor. In seconds she was naked and on the ground, even as the police began to arrive.

"Damn," Huntress muttered, impressed.

Supergirl turned towards Hamilton, her expression oddly sad. "Are you all right, Professor?" she asked him gently.

Rather stiffly Emil answered, "Fine, thank you."

"Could someone please explain what's going on?" Huntress asked as a cop wrapped Repulse in a blanket and loaded her up in a squad car.

Emil sighed. "Earlier today associates of Miss Repulse there was sent by Intergang, in a attempt to recruit me," he explained, "as I am not interested in working with maniacs driven by religion, I declined. So it seems they sent her to take me by force."

"I see," Supergirl said, "be careful, sir."

Huntress watched the old man go, then looked curiously at Supergirl. "You do realize he was probably lying, right? Repulse seemed to think he'd welcome being taken," she pointed out.

"Probably," Supergirl agreed readilly, "but can you or I prove it?" She shrugged, "Maybe they were negotiating a deal and he changed his mind. Maybe Intergang decided to stop negotiating. Either way..."

"Fair enough," Huntress nodded.

Realizing she was probably going easy on a possible villain Supergirl added, "He used to be a good friend of Superman. He was there for him during some of his toughest times, and... I think he has regrets over what happened to Emil."

Huntress smiled a bit sadly, but nodded once again. "Anyway, thank you for your help," she said, "I think I could have stopped her, but it would have been tough."

Supergirl grinned, "SURE you could have." Then again, she admitted to herself, Huntress was the female Batman, more or less. Changing the subject she noted, "You're one of the Birds of Prey, correct? My cousin disapproves of you."

"Yes I am," Huntress acknowledged then added wryly, "And my heart bleeds. Really."

Supergirl chuckled, "If it helps, Kal and I don't agree on some things. If you need any help, give me a call."

"Thanks," Huntress smiled as Supergirl took off.

With a smile Supergirl ascended, then a slight frown appeared on her face. This was her third run in with someone Intergang related... maybe she should take the warning Oracle put out a bit more seriously?

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Renee Montoya was sharing a drink with her former boss James Gordon, her short hair falling rather messily into her eyes as they sat in the bar. The two of them started meeting not long after she got her Gotham private investigator license, and she had done some work for him too. The Gotham PD was no longer riddled with corruption like it was, but there were still enough bad apples that Gordon liked having a PI to investigate things off the record.

"She did WHAT?" Renee yelped, looking amused.

"Showed up in a limo, put me in the back seat then... well, you know," James Gordon admitted sheepishly. The Commissioner looked a bit shell shocked as he drank some beer, but also a bit pleased at being able to keep up with the woman.

"I'd almost think you were boasting," Renee teased.

James smirked slightly. "A bit," he admitted, "just a bit."

"And how is Babs taking it?" Renee had to ask.

That made James wince a bit. "We don't talk about it," he admitted, "but I don't think she approves. And honestly, no one wants to imagine their parents having a sex drive."

"Damn right," Renee agreed. She took a drink of her soda, "So, why the call?"

"The gang war is heating up," James admitted, "and we're stretched pretty thin right now. "I could use a reliable officer."

Renee raised her eyebrows, "You're offering me back my badge?"

"If you want it," James agreed.

Renee hesitated, then finally shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I've seen how the system fails people too often," she said, "I think I can do more outside the system."

"You sure?" James asked.

"Sorry," Renee smiled, shrugging.

"All right, fair enough," James nodded, sighing. "Can I still rely on you for private work?"

"As long as it doesn't interfere with my other commitments," Renee admitted, "I've got a lot on my plate, lately." She and Tot's 'Answer the Question' service, contract work for Oracle, occasionally working with Batwoman, and sometimes doing stuff for Batman. She was lucky to find time to sleep some days.

Just then Renee AND James' phones went off, almost at the same time. "I told them not to contact me unless it was a emergency," James muttered.

"Answer it," Renee ordered even as she did her's, "Hello?"

"Question, this is Oracle," the voice said calmly, "we have trouble in Gotham. Would you be willing to help out?"

"Yes," Renee answered instantly.

"Oh hell, Dr. Phosphorus is loose again?" James growled into his phone. "Right, right..."

"Got to go, chief," she told James as Renee got up, "Get the check, I'll pay you back."

"Hey!" James yelped, but she was gone.

Renee hurried down the street, phone still clipped to her ear as she demanded, "So, what's the situation?"

"Dr. Phosphorus has been sprung from Arkham as a distraction," Oracle answered seriously, "while a attack is being carried out against Wayne-tech in Gotham."

"While the police are too busy dealing with him and anyone else busting out of Arkham," Renee realized. "There's no way I can handle this alone," she cautioned as she ducked into a alley and pulled on her unique mask.

"I have a few people I can call in," Oracle reassured her, "and the team breaking in isn't that big. I think they were counting on everyone being drawn off by the distraction."

"I hope like hell they're reliable," the Question said as she hurried out from the alley, smoke curling around her body mysteriously.

"Oh they are VERY reliable," Oracle promised.

It took another five minutes to get to Wayne Tech, one of the newer towers in Gotham City. In the aftermath of the quake Wayne had rebuilt a lot of the city, alongside other corporations, and their headquarters was one of the most beautiful towers in town.

Sadly, that remarkable architecture was marred by a very large whole in the wall. "Guess that's where they busted in," the Question muttered.

"Looks like it," a woman's voice agreed as she swung down from a nearby rooftop, dressed in purple and black and wearing a familiar bat-symbol.

"You're the new Batgirl," Question noted with a sinking feeling. This was Oracle's idea of reliable? Oh crap...

Just then a figure in white and red came out of the shadows, carrying a staff. Manhunter was almost instantly recognizable, even though Question also hadn't worked with her before. "I take it you're the help Oracle promised me?" Manhunter asked, sounding disappointed.

'Oh even better...' Question thought with a sigh.

To be continued...


End file.
